Unexpected
by Artemis-chan of Redwing
Summary: AU ReiJadeite James is a knight on a quest to free a beautiful lady from an evil knight. Written for school but really very cute!


A/N: Well, this started off as an assignment for my English class. We had to write a Medieval Romance. I, of course, being influenced by Anime like I am, made the assignment into a Quasi-Fanfic. Be gentle, I wrote it in about 3 hours. ^_^;;  
  
1 Unexpected  
  
Once, long before our time, a young knight roamed the length and breadth of the land, alone but for a servant girl. He was a free knight, unbound to any single country, who went by the name of Sir James and worked to help all people. Following this philosophy, Sir James had promptly sheltered the young servant girl when he had found her near an abandoned village. She also followed his way of thinking and worked hard.  
  
It so happened that on this day they were passing through a village when the first rumours of the Shadow Knight reached their ears. Approaching a townsman, Sir James expressed his concern.  
  
"Oh, 'tis true, my lord," the layman replied. "The Shadow Knight works with the dread powers of darkness and holds captive the daughter of our own noble lord. It would be of great service if someone would rescue her." Sir James picked up on the rather obvious hint and inquired further.  
  
"Prithee, good man, where might I find this foul knave that holds the young lady captive?" The villager answered Sir James knowingly.  
  
"Go east from this village, good sir, until you reach a stream. Follow it downstream to the large castle and knock on the back door. The Shadow Knight likes to treat his challengers to dinner before he kills them."  
  
Sir James thanked the man and returned to his horse. The servant was waiting for him with additional instructions. "If," she began while readying his horse," you are intent on rescuing this lady, do not eat the food the Shadow Knight will offer. It is enchanted to dull the senses." He nodded his thanks and the two rode east out of town.  
  
Before long they reached the aforementioned stream. Figuring that they might as well keep following their directions, they turned downstream. The sky had just begun to darken when the servant girl noticed a large blue pavilion, apparently unoccupied. It was decided to spend the night before continuing onward.  
  
^_^^_^^_^^_^^_^^_^  
  
James and his servant rode out early the next morning and found the Castle Shadow not long after. He knocked on the back door as he had been instructed and was led inside by the cook. When James mentioned that he was there to fight the resident knight, the cook immediately offered him food. James wisely, though politely, declined. The cook then instructed him to make himself ready while she told her lord of the challenge.  
  
The Shadow Knight, resplendent in his frightening black armour, appeared with haste upon the tourney field. "I see, good fellow, that you wish to die today," the strange knight greeted Sir James.  
  
"Nay," James replied, "not to die, but rather, to free a lady from your tyrannical clutches." The Shadow Knight laughed in his face.  
  
"You are not the first to wish for Lady Raye's freedom, and you shall not be the last!" With that, the fighting began.  
  
It took two tries for their lances to break, neither knight obtaining serious injury before the fight moved to ground level. The parrying, thrusting, dodging went on for an hour when Sir James began to feel his strength ebb. The Shadow Knight knocked him to the ground and removed his helmet as though to behead him.  
  
Then from behind the deadly knight flitted a lithe figure adorned with red. The color made her black hair stand out vividly against the wooden grandstands. Somehow, he knew that this was the lady he had his heart set on rescuing, knew that she was there to cheer him on, encourage him.  
  
It worked. In a burst of energy, James threw the Shadow Knight off and their previous positions were quickly reversed. The Shadow Knight then pleaded for his life.  
  
Sir James looked at the knight in disgust. "I am sickened, knave, by your pathetic pleas for mercy when to other knights you have shown none. You do not deserve to live." Sir James then ended the other knight's existence.  
  
Panting heavily, Sir James looked around confusedly before finally spotting his servant girl near the side of the field talking with a gorgeous, dark haired woman in red hunting leathers. Perplexed, James quickly approached the two and introduced himself to the stranger.  
  
She laughed. "Ah, good sir, I know who you are. The girl and I have been talking for quite a while already. I am called the Lady Raye." Her beauty and character entranced James. They returned quickly to the castle where Lady Raye announced that the Shadow Knight had been defeated. The staff members were ecstatic and immediately threw a large feast in honor of their hero.  
  
Late that night, after several hours of talking and mingling, James realized that he loved the charming, witty, drop-dead gorgeous Lady Raye. He quickly resolved to get her to reciprocate his feelings.  
  
Raye, meanwhile, was slightly more tentative concerning her feelings for the brave, handsome young knight. She realized that she had no inclination of tying herself to a complete stranger and set about to talk to his servant girl about him. The young girl was found sitting on a balcony looking at the stare. Before the lady could utter a word, the girl turned to her.  
  
"You wish to ask me about Sir James?" the girl asked, though it was more of a statement than a question. Lady Raye nodded. "He is very kind, an honorable knight, yet he detests any recognition for his labors. He found me several years ago and has taken care of me ever since. Not once has James forced me into an uncomfortable situation. He deserves somebody like you, ma'am." The girl's piercing eyes looked into Raye's own. "Just as you deserve him." The girl turned to go.  
  
"Wait!" Raye cried out. The servant girl kept walking. "Wait. May I at least know your name?"  
  
The girl threw the name over her shoulder. "Lily."  
  
^_^^_^^_^^^_^^_^^_^  
  
It did not take the lady and her knight long to fall in love. Three months after the death of the Shadow Knight they were married. Some uninvited, though not entirely unwelcome, guests arrived for the reception. When these strange guests entered the room, young Lily bolted from her chair into the arms of the leading woman.  
  
"Mother!" she cried joyously. James could not help but be more than slightly confused.  
  
"Pardon, but who are you?" he asked as politely as he possibly could. The strange woman smiled at him.  
  
"I received summons from my daughter that two very deserving young people were getting married today, and that she would like my blessing upon them. I am the Queen of the Faeries," the woman explained. James and Raye, wide- eyed and reverent, received the Queen's blessing and thanks for taking such good care of her daughter. The revelry continued long into the night.  
  
~Owari ^_~  
  
P 


End file.
